NEW YORK RED BULLS

Kenny Cooper could wind up with another MLS team soon.
Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images

By Kristian R. Dyer
BigAppleSoccer.com Contributing Editor

In his first year with the Red Bulls, forward Kenny Cooper led the team with 18 goals and was second overall in the league’s race as top scorer. That might just earn him a trip out of New York.

A league source has told BigAppleSoccer.com that Cooper is actively being shopped around to several MLS clubs as the Red Bulls seem keen to part ways with their leading scorer from last year.

“Cooper seems to have played his last game with the Red Bulls,” the league source told BigAppleSoccer.com. “The team is actively looking to trade him. A Western Conference team is preferred but the club seems open to all possible suitors.”

The move, according to the source, is in part a “salary dump by new management so as to bring in their new players.”

Last year, Cooper made a base salary of $275,000.

It may seem odd that Cooper would be traded after such a successful season, but the source was quite clear in why he is being actively shopped around. Turns out that forward and team captain Thierry Henry doesn’t think he gelled on the field with Cooper, according to several sources within the league.

“It’s more than just his salary because Red Bull is willing to spend to promote the club, promote the brand,” one source said. “Henry wasn’t the biggest fan of [Cooper] and they didn’t seem to get along on the field. There’s been whispers that off the field they didn’t get along either.

“Henry is calling the shots right now on this team or at the very least he has a great influence on this team.”